


Alone In The Dark

by carstairs312



Series: The Darkest Minds: Indigo [2]
Category: The Darkest Minds (2018), The Darkest Minds Series - Alexandra Bracken
Genre: Cross-Posted on Wattpad, F/M, Plot Twists, Project Jamboree, Seven years have passed, Short Chapters, Surprise bitches Aria is alive, Temporary Amnesia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:26:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24664591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carstairs312/pseuds/carstairs312
Summary: ***SEQUEL TO A DARK GHOST, READ THAT FIRST***Seven years later, it's revealed that Aria didn't actually die when she got Cole out of Sawtooth. Unfortunately, in a completely different world with next to no memory, she sets out trying to piece herself back together and get back to the person she used to be.Only... people haven't stopped looking for the mysterious 'ghost' who stormed Sawtooth, and when they hear she might have resurfaced they aren't exactly pleased.A figure from her past, memories she wished she didn't have and a power she's forgotten how to control... It's a new world, and Aria has to navigate it.
Relationships: Cole Stewart/Aria Stacey (A Dark Ghost), Cole Stewart/Original Female Character(s), Ruby Daly/Liam Stewart, Vida Bautista/Charles Carrington "Chubs" Meriwether IV
Series: The Darkest Minds: Indigo [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1705381
Comments: 1
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

“Where the fuck am I?” I sat bolt upright, straining against the mess of wires sticking out of me and into the surrounding machines, my head pounding from the sudden movement. 

“Ah, nice of you to join us…” The man looked at me over his glasses, clipboard in hand. 

“What happened?” _The last few days were foggy in my mind, as if my memories weren’t my own. It was like… it was like they were there, but they didn’t feel like mine. I felt like a ghost looking into them. A name. I had a name. There were faces, brief faces, people who seemed important to me. I recognised them and yet… for some reason, I was unable to put two and two together. These people in my mind, I_ knew _them. But who were they?_

“Miss, you’ve had an organ transplant, and two minor surgeries. You’ve been in a medically induced coma for the past seven years. Do you remember what happened?”

“I—” I _didn’t_. What had happened, why did this happen, and that still didn’t answer my original question: _WHERE THE FUCK AM I?_ By the looks of things, it appeared to be a hospital, but then again, appearances can be deceiving. I pulled up my thin shirt to reveal a line of stitches across the side of my stomach, right across a burn scar in the shape of a handprint. “How did I get here?”

“You were brought in. A woman found you behind an abandoned diner with a young adult male, both of you seriously injured.”

 _A young adult male._ _Who?_ _If he was with me he could know something…_ “Where is he? The person who came in with me? Is he okay?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t know. The woman who brought you both in had him discharged almost instantly after, she seemed to recognise him. He wasn’t here long enough to be ID’d, and you’re not on any systems. You’re almost like a ghost.”

I looked down at the handprint on my stomach, lifting my hand up and placing it on top. Did I do this to myself? The doctor noticed what I was doing and answered my question for me.

“The scar, it appeared to have been made while cauterising the wound. Although it stopped the bleeding, we had to open it up again to remove the bullet.”

“Hang on there, are you telling me someone fucking _shot_ me?” _If someone had shot me before, was I even safe here?_ I started to panic. I needed to get out of here. I tried to lift my legs but they were held in place. Instead, I tried to use my hands to move them, but it only revealed that my legs were held in place to the bed. “What the fuck? Why can’t I leave?”

“You’re not healthy enough—” 

“Bullshit! I’m calling bullshit!”

“I would appreciate if you refrained from using any more foul language in this hospital. I will turn on the TV, put on the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign, and then maybe you will have calmed down by the time I come to take the next blood test.”

He turned on the TV, handed me the remote and left. As a distraction, I listed the things I knew about myself so far.

  1. Someone had shot me.
  2. There is someone out there who knows who I am, but he was taken and I needed to find him.
  3. Clearly, I have amnesia.
  4. I have been in a coma for seven _fucking_ years.



It wasn’t a long list. The screen flickered into life and the news channel was already on. Since I couldn’t be bothered to change it, I let it play.

 _Suzume Kimura, now aged 20, the leader of the Psion Ring possibly sighted, two years after the video…_

I let it play out. All I was focused on what the name. Suzume Kimura. I recognised the name, but I couldn’t seem to remember… well, _anything_. But somehow…

_I knew where I had to go._


	2. Chapter 2

Somehow, I knew where to go. I couldn’t explain it. _I just knew_. Yeah, I got a lot of weird looks as I got on the bus to Lodi— who wouldn’t be confused by a twenty-something girl in a hospital gown and a half-torn leather jacket?

Once I sat down on the bus, I looked at my hands. There were faint scars peppering my knuckles, and I tried to concentrate on where I had gotten them. Searching through my maze of memories was hard, it was like I had all of the pieces of the puzzle but none of them fit together? I had either names or faces, not both. I had memories floating about but without any sense of time. Something could’ve been seven years ago, right before I got injured, or it could’ve been when I was six… _I just couldn’t tell_. 

The only thing I was completely sure of was that I was at this place, and I needed to go back. I was there. Before it happened. Since it was the last place I remember being, so far, it was my best shot at jogging my memory. 

I hugged the bloodstained, torn, slightly oversized jacket around me. I needed a change of clothes, this hospital outfit just wasn’t doing it for me. I continued to look at the scars on my hands, wondering how, when and where I had gotten them but nothing seemed to work. Eventually, I gave up, spending the rest of the journey staring at my reflection in the window. My dark hair was cut to my chin, in a pixie cut sort of style. It curled around my ears a little and there was a slightly fuzzy bit on top that resembled a fringe and I had to keep blowing it out of my face to see occasionally. Had it always been like this?

5\. My hair is out to get me. Half the time, I can’t see a fucking _thing_ , and I’m beginning to think it’s a hazard.

I got off the bus and trudged the long walk towards a familiar-looking bar. Smiley’s. 

_“Christ, what’s a guy gotta do to get a drink around here?”_

The most clichéd line ever popped into my head, echoed in a southern accent. Someone had to have said that to me once. _Who?_ I pushed the thought down, not wanting to concentrate on it and instead walked around to the back of the bar. No, there was no point in going this way. The door had to be opened from the inside. I walked around towards one of the large warehouses, and tried getting in through there instead. 

The place had been trashed. The door was busted and I had to jam my shoulder into it to get through. A white sheet was hung up, and a few chairs were haphazardly placed near it. _Something meaningful happened here at some point._ I didn’t know what, but I couldn’t help but feel pride. Proud of something, _someone_. So focused on the emotion, I didn’t notice the broom sticking out and suddenly I was face down on the hard concrete. It took longer than it should have to pick myself up and as soon as I finally had, I noticed what was painted on the floor. 

A crescent new moon. 

The image flickered through my mind like a trigger. I saw it painted on the side of a truck. On a bike helmet. On a bike itself, with someone polishing it and accidentally wiping oil on his face. 

I had to stop, almost forgetting to breathe. _Who the hell was that?_

He was laughing, singing along badly and driving a beat-up old minivan. The minivan. _Black Betty._ Are you fucking kidding me right now? I can’t remember the names of anyone I used to know, or who I was with at the time, can’t even remember my _own_ damn name… but I can remember the name of the fucking _Nissan_? I wiped my face and wrapped my arms around my knees, resting my head on them and trying to think.

I was sitting directly on top of the moon on the floor. 

_Nothing_. I needed somewhere else, somewhere better… somewhere with more memories. For some reason, LA sprung to mind, but it also at the same time didn’t seem like an option.

I took a breath. This wasn’t working, I was just confusing myself. Pulling myself up using the table, I walked towards the stairs and climbed them. Although rusty, the door was unlocked, and I followed the dark tunnel into a kitchen. 

_“Why in the_ world _did they have to take the light bulbs too?”_ What I could only assume was the same southern voice from earlier. God, who did I spend so much time with that their voice was practically engraved into my mind? 

On my way upstairs, I passed the gym. There was a mirror in there, but it was cracked. I traced the cracks with my finger. They spiralled out from a point of impact and I rested my own fist in the little dent. This wasn’t mine. I didn’t do this. Yet, I felt like I’d done it before? Not here. Somewhere else? _But… where?_

I left the gym and made my way upstairs again. Instinctively, I opened one of the doors. The room was a complete mess, there were clothes on the floor and what could possibly be _dents_ in the walls. A leather jacket, identical to the one I was wearing— only in much, _much_ better condition— hung on a chair, and after a considerable amount of inner debating, I slipped mine off to exchange it for this newer one. 

A lone laptop sat at the desk, and I reached for it, curiosity taking over. No password, which was good. I went straight into search and typed in the name I remembered from the news. _Suzume Kimura_ , and the page practically exploded with information.

_Psi spokesperson, interim government. Psion Ring. Yellow. Electrokinetic._

I went to the images page and a dozen photos came up. She was constantly standing next to the same boy, slightly older and with his arm around her a lot. Not like a boyfriend, but like a protective older brother. I clicked on one of the pictures and read the description. _Suzume Kimura and Charles Meriwether IV_. Jesus, that’s a long name. A voice appeared in my head— not the southern one from before, a different one, it belonged to a girl.

 _“Chubby Chubby Choo Choo, I almost pissed myself.”_ A girl’s voice spoke, a voice I recognised yet couldn’t quite place. 

6\. For some reason, I think this person can help me. 

_Next search: Charles Meriwether, address._


	3. Chapter 3

So I found the wrong Charles. Which is why I found myself sitting in a coffee shop, waiting for Dr Charles Meriwether III (not to be confused with Charles Meriwether IV), his dad, to arrive. I sat at the back, not wanting to draw attention to myself since the only clothes I could find before leaving were a moth-eaten tank top and a pair of jeans that were more holes than jeans. 

“Hi. I’m Dr Charles Meriwether, could you tell me why you wanted to meet me?” The man, a look-alike of his son— except for the slightly scruffy beard and lack of hair— sat down in front of me, sipping his coffee. 

“I need to speak to your son, it’s urgent.” I whispered, no idea why there was any subconscious need for me to keep my voice down.

“Why would that be?”

“I’m...” I struggled for the right words to say. “I’m an old friend… I think. ”

“I really don’t think I can do this, I’m sorry. I have to go.” He stood up to leave and I felt my chances diminishing with every step he took towards the door.

I knocked my drink over as I stood up, catching up to him just as he walked out the door. “Please,” I grabbed his arm. “I think he’s the only one who can help me.”

~

That is how I ended up waiting in Charles’ parents’ living room. It was quite awkward, but I sat there and waited while his dad made phone calls, and his mum offered me food. When he came back, he barely said anything other than an awkward, “Two hours. He’ll be here.”

I practically jumped for joy. I had a strong feeling that Charles would know more about me than I currently do. I didn’t remember being with him, but I just _knew_ that he knew me. Him and Suzume, whose whereabouts are currently unknown. This Meriwether kid is officially my best bet.

It was very awkward to spend time in his parents’ house. While I was waiting, his mom kept offering me more food and snacks and I had to politely decline since for the last seven years all my food had been liquidised and there was only so many biscuits and sandwiches I’d be able to handle before I chucked. And I really didn’t want to do _that_ in their pristine living room. I was almost counting down the seconds before the front door opened. His parents saw the car in the driveway and nodded to me, putting down their newspaper and laptop respectively and going to get the door.

He came in, hugs and kisses to both of them, about to sit down on the couch. “So what was it you wanted me to—” he trailed off, staring dead at me. Charles took a cautious step forward, and then another, until he was standing opposite me. “You can’t be here… Y-You just can’t. You’re…” I reached out to grab his arm, an instinct, as he had turned an odd grey colour and started swaying on his feet. 

“Charles?” The contact made him realise I was real, and his eyes widened. I stood up to grab hold of his other arm and he promptly passed out against me, my support the only reason his head didn’t hit the glass coffee table. “Shit.” I stood there, not sure what to do. “You’re the doctor, do something!” 

His dad took him from me and laid him down on the couch. He loosened his son’s belt while I undid the top of his button-down collar. This shirt looked a lot like the one I vaguely remembered crying on at the Ranch at some point. My hand was still closed around his wrist, not wanting to let go. _He must hate me. For seven years he thought I was dead._ At least, that’s what I’d gathered from his reaction to seeing me. 

When he finally woke, less than a minute later, he looked at me in some sort of daze. “Y-You’re real?” He put his hand on top of mine, squeezing it as I nodded. “You’re here?” I nodded again. 

“I’m sorry. I—” He cut me off, standing up and throwing his arms around me. It was hard to breathe he was hugging me so tightly, but I let him, because even though I couldn’t remember why, I missed him. I hugged him back, not knowing what to say. 

“How?” 

“I don’t know.” 

He motioned for his parents to give us some space, and we sat back down on his couch. “Why? Why now? And why’d you call me _Charles_?”

So I told him my story, at least— what I _knew_ of it. The being brought into emergency care, the amnesia, the going back to the Ranch and looking up him and Suzume. “I don’t know who I am. I don’t remember anything _._ ” Tears rolled down my face as I leant against him, his arm around me. 

“Even though it used to annoy me, I’m not having you call me anything other than Chubs. It’s too weird. Aria, look. I have an idea but you have to come with me.” 

7\. My name is Aria.

8\. I had a friend called ~~Charles~~ Chubs.

I trusted him, so I got in his car, and let him drive me to his apartment. I marvelled at the space. He had a large living room with a white U-shaped sofa in the middle, in front of a TV. There was a master bedroom and two guest rooms, one of which he told me was mine for as long as I wanted it. There were four bathrooms, he motioned to each as he tossed me a drink from the fridge. 

“Right, we have about three hours until she gets back, so let’s get to it.”

“Until who gets back?”

“Vida. Did I not mention that? We— uh— we live together, here.”

I whistled, and he shook his head at me, laughing. “I don’t want to remind you that I don’t remember her, but still… _Damn_ , Chubs. How long?”

“Just over seven years, right before you… right before you left, actually.”

And just like that, the conversation was brought to an abrupt stop. It was a struggle to not break down into tears at how much I’d missed. I couldn’t remember who Vida was, but there was _something_ there. They’d been together for seven years… what if they’d gotten married? What if I’d missed that? _Breathe, Aria. Aria. You are stronger than this._ He opened up a silver laptop and handed it to me with a USB stick. 

“Do you want me here for this? You left it for us, when you thought you were going to die.”

I shook my head. “No, I think I have to do this one myself.” He nodded in reply and disappeared for a few minutes to let me watch it. _I thought I was going to die?_

With my hands shaking, somehow I managed to open the video titled ‘ARIA’ and press the start button. 

I almost didn’t recognise my own voice. _“Hey, guys. Right, if you’re watching this... I’m dead.”_

 _“It’s been a long time coming, actually. Right now, I’m going to tell you the whole story. When I’ve finished, I’m going to log off and I’m going to find Liam and Cole—”_ I had to replay the video several times. _I’m going to find Liam and Cole. Liam and Cole._ **_Cole_** **.**

Shooting upright, I banged my head into Chubs’ jaw. He had been leaning over me watching as he heard me start the video again. His eyes were rubbed raw and a new bruise was blossoming on his lower jaw. “Shit! Sorry!” **_Cole. Cole. Cole._** _I still couldn’t remember anything about him. I just— I just knew, I felt something strong towards him._

“No, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have been standing there, I couldn’t help myself.”

And at that moment, the key turned in the lock. Vida backed into the room as she closed the door behind her. There was no warning as I soared through the room, hitting the back wall. Her arm was outstretched the moment she saw me, pinning me there. 

“Fucking hell, Vi!” 

At a stern look from Chubs she dropped me, taking a step back and making her way towards the door she had just entered from. Without moving, Chubs had already pushed the door in place, keeping her from leaving. Vida turned around, leant against the door and sank to the ground, tears already forming. He ran to her, pulling her upright and moving her to the couch. I stretched my wrist, flexing it where it had hit the wall— nothing broken, _thankfully_. 

“You were dead. I saw the blood. How did you—” 

Slowly, I walked towards her, before sitting down on the coffee table opposite. “It’s a long story, but I can explain. Sort of.”


	4. Chapter 4

“This bitch fucking faked her own death!” That was the first conclusion Vida came to. Chubs tried to calm her down while I paced the room worriedly. This was not the reaction I was expecting _or_ hoping for. 

“Vi, calm down. Hear her out, hell let _me_ tell you if it’ll make a difference?” He pleaded with her.

To say it plainly, she was in shock. I couldn’t blame her. I mean I didn’t even realise they thought I was dead until I realised _I_ was alive. Or at least remembered that I thought I had died in the first place. 

Chubs led her out onto his terrace, like _damn_ — did this kid win the lottery or something? From the outside, this little apartment didn’t look like much but inside it looked fit for a VIP! Then again, that could just be my slightly biased opinion since I don’t remember living anywhere before Black Rock. Or Black Rock. Or anything. He sat her down and explained what had happened, in apparently greater deal than I ever could, and with multiple exaggerated hand gestures. Yeah, that’s something I didn’t remember him doing, but it’s clear he does it _a lot_. 

Since they were pretty occupied, I decided to rewatch the video. It was only a couple minutes long and it felt like every time I watched it I regained a piece of myself. Although, it angered and scared me that I still couldn’t remember people. Especially **_Cole_**. His name came up everywhere yet triggered nothing. Ruby… there was _something_ there, but I couldn’t access it. I remembered something about playing cards with people, but I still couldn’t put names to faces. 

“Goddammit! Why did this have to happen? Why couldn’t I have just fucking _died?_ I’d rather be dead than be stuck like this!” 

Chubs caught the vase inches before it hit my head, his telekinesis freezing it in mid-air just before the moment of impact. “What the hell just happened?”

I hadn’t even realised that they had come in from outside. Chubs was standing there with a worried look on his face, his arm outstretched and Vida stood behind him, her makeup slightly smudged around her eyes. 

“Aria. We need to get you under control.” Chubs dropped the vase, putting it slowly back on the table it had come from. “Do you remember using telekinesis?”

“I was a...?” _What's the word. What's the system. Come on, what's the BADGEY THINGS. BLUE IS TELEKINESIS!_ “I was a blue?”

“No, boo. Charlie Boy and me are both blues, you’re Indigo. Do you seriously not remember? Also don’t sweat the fact that I know, he filled me in on that part.”

“Charlie Boy and _I_ ,” Chubs corrected, and Vida gave him a stern look that seemed to just say _‘not now’_. Jesus, the grammar police is back. 

“What the fuck is an Indigo?”

“Oh shit, you weren’t kidding.” Vida looked me up and down. “We need Ruby for this.”

9\. Whatever the hell an ‘indigo’ was, I was one.

Chubs shook his head, clearly not happy with that idea. “Hell no! She’s been through enough in the past few years, we shouldn’t shock her with… I don’t know? Oh yeah, _her friend coming back from the dead._ ”

“We need her. You know she can help.” Vida folded her arms, looking between the two of us. She leaned in closer to him, and whispered something in his ear. This caused Chubs to go bright red and his eyes went wider than I could’ve ever thought humanly possible without his eyeballs falling out of their sockets. 

“Fine. Ruby it is. But Lee is going to freak.”

 _Ruby._ Maybe seeing her would jog my memory? Maybe that was what they meant? Maybe she could help? Somehow?

~

So we got in the car. Well, we got _to_ the car. 

“No way, budge over Grannie. We’ve been over this. If you drive, there’s no hope of us breaking the fucking speed limit between now and next Tuesday.” _Grannie?_ Vida hauled Chubs’ ass out of the driver’s seat and took his place, not even waiting for his annoyed reply as she slammed the door and locked it. 

For some reason, Chubs looked at me for support but I was too busy trying not to laugh to be of any help. I slid into the back seat, and he sat down next to Vida, reaching for the radio controls. She slapped his hand away. “You know the rules.” 

“Yeah, driver controls the music. Universal law.” I sing-songed from the back. 

Chubs froze, and if he were the one driving we would’ve been crushed at the crossing. Luckily, he wasn’t, and Vida drove through the red light without a second glance. He locked eyes with me in the rear-view mirror. Chubs ducked his head after a moment, looking out the window and wringing his hands, muttering, “Lee used to say that all the time. Always got on my nerves, considering he never let me drive...” 

“Oh,” I said. _That’s probably somehow where I got it from._

The rest of the journey was in sort of silence, with Vida occasionally breaking it to make comments in an attempt to ease the awkwardness. I couldn’t help but catch sight of her hair in the mirror every now and again. It was a bright purple, and even though it complimented her skin tone well, I had a small feeling that it would suit her more if it was blue.

“Lee isn’t going to be very happy. Well I mean, he’ll be happy to see us. But it’s not like he’s going to be pleased that we’re turning up unannounced, with a surprise travelling companion who’s come back from the dead. It’ll bring up all sorts of questions.” Chubs continued to talk to himself, whilst at the same time repeatedly taking off his glasses, cleaning them, and putting them back on. 

“Now might be a good time to mention that I used the group chat…” Vida smirked, stopping to beep the horn at a car that attempted to pull out in front of her. “It’s not going to just be Boy Scout and Ruby, we’re also going to be seeing Z and her two friends, and Nico, and Cate if she turns up. At least, if they can all get there safely.”

The car went silent again, and I sat in the back waiting for someone to say something. 

“This is why I left that chat.” Chubs muttered under his breath, rolling down the window to get some fresh air. 

“No, you left the chat because Liam and Zu turned you into a gif.”

I covered my mouth with both hands and still didn’t manage to stop the laughter from escaping. It died down after a stern look from Chubs, but Vida pulled out her phone and tossed it in the vague direction of the backseat. “It’s in my favourites, there are three different versions.”

After finding the app labelled ‘photos’, I clicked on the image and dissolved into laughter again while Chubs put his head in his hands and rested it on the dashboard. Damn, this ‘Liam’ kid sure has a good sense of humour.


	5. Chapter 5

When we arrived at the house, I looked around, trying to take in every aspect of it in a feeble attempt at triggering a memory. “Do I know this place?” I put a hand on Chubs’ arm, nervous to go inside. 

“No, they moved her not that long ago, you won’t recognise it.” 

Vida marched up to the front door and knocked, giving the security camera above it a mock-salute. After a period of no answer, she knocked again before throwing Chubs an impatient look. 

“I have a key, you know.”

“No shit, better get moving then.” She rolled her eyes before extending an arm and using her telekinesis to take the keys from his pocket. Sighing, Chubs put his own hand out and pulled them back from her in mid-air. 

“I’m coming, I’m coming.” 

He made his way up the steps and put the key in the lock, opening the door. Vida pushed past him to get through, kicking off her boots and going straight for what appeared to be the kitchen. I loitered by the car, looking at the sky and wringing my hands in anticipation. I was about to “meet” some of the most important people in my life, according to Chubs and Vida. These people knew who I used to be.

I want to be the person they remember.

I don’t know them, but at the same time… _I don’t want to disappoint them_. 

“Aria? You okay?” Chubs called out to me, holding the door open as I slowly walked over to him. 

I sighed, “Yeah. Fine.” Nodding, I let him close and lock the door behind me.

If I wanted my memories back, I had to do this. 

_I had to_. 

~

 _“Wait here,"_ Chubs had said. _“Give me a minute to explain.”_

That ‘minute’ had turned into twenty. I hovered in the hallway and looked at the photos lining the walls. There were lots of the same two people, a girl and a guy. There were also a few with Chubs in, and Vida, and that Suzume girl from the news. Along with them, there were photos of people I didn’t recognise, and a single photo of a guy who at first glance looked like the person in most of the photos, but on closer inspection revealed to be someone else. 

As well as photos, there appeared to be row upon row of drawings, almost as if they were snippets of memories. It was like walking through someone else’s life, or being given front row seats to see a movie. Sensing someone behind me, I spun around and managed to trip over my own feet, succeeding in knocking a photo from the counter. “Shit.” 

The girl caught it with her own telekinesis and put the photo frame back where it fell from. “Watch it! I drew that one.” After she’d finished admiring her handiwork, she held her hand out for me to take it. “I’m Azra.”

I shook her hand, but couldn’t help but feel slightly on edge. “Did I know you? Before?”

“Nope, I’m new here. Ruby and Liam used to look after me and a load of others a few years ago, and judging by the current situation I’d say I picked the wrong time to pay a visit, however overdue it might have been.”

“Right… I’m Aria.” The name felt weird as it passed my own lips, it was the first time I’d said it out loud. Deciding to change the subject, I reverted my gaze back to the photo I’d almost knocked over. At first I thought it was a photo, but I soon realised that it was actually a very detailed, very beautiful drawing of two guys, one with his arm around the other. “You drew this?” 

Azra nodded, coming closer and adjusting the frame’s position slightly. “It was a present for Liam for his birthday, Ruby showed me the memory and I drew it for him. It’s him and his brother, Cole.” 

“That’s pretty cool.” I was about to open my mouth again when the door to the living room opened and Chubs came out. He smiled weakly and gestured for me to go inside. 

_This wasn’t going to be easy._

~

From what I had been told, I was able to identify almost everyone in the room. But that didn’t mean I knew who they were. I could see Suzume, or ‘Z’ as Vida called her, sitting on a sofa with a guy’s arm around her, and another girl on her other side. She was the first to look up when I came back in, but her eyes began to fill with tears and I had to look away before mine did the same. Then, on the opposite chair sat Ruby and Liam. 

Suzume may have been the first to look at me, but Liam was the first to speak. He stood up and cautiously made his way over, almost walking into the coffee table. “You okay there, darlin’?” he choked the words out, extending a hand towards me. “Gave me quite a scare.” 

_“You okay there, darlin’? Gave me quite a scare.”_

I’d heard that before. Those exact words. _From him_. I couldn’t remember where, or when. But I knew it was him. I took a small but sure step towards his outstretched hand and ignored it, before taking another. “Hi, I’m Aria.”

“I know,” he whispered as I melted into his shirt, wrapped in his warmth. He had quite a bit of height on me and my head fit just underneath his chin. Just close enough for me to hear the sound of his beating heart, and feel his chest rattle with every sob. 

I was pulled out of his grasp and into someone else as Zu peeled me from him and wrapped her arms around my waist. She seemed to have grown a great deal since the photos I had seen of her online. “Give her some space Lee, the girl’s been through hell and back. _Literally._ Anyways, it’s my turn.” She turned to Vida and whispered something before taking another look at me. 

“Let’s sort this out then.” Vida pulled me down onto a couch as Ruby gave me a thumbs up from across the room. Liam sat back down next to her and Suzume returned to her position between the two other people I was yet to be introduced to. 

“I have an idea. I’ve told you what I know already, but I think Aria should tell you guys her story, and then we can figure out where to go from there?” Chubs shrugged, waiting for a response. After everyone nodded in agreement, all eyes turned to me. 

_So I told my story._

~

A long story and an hour later, only me and Liam were left in the room. All the chatter had faded out and we sat there on opposite sides, without speaking. Liam broke the silence by standing up, “I need some air.” The door opened before he reached it and slammed shut behind him as he left, the sound echoing through the entire house. Something wasn’t right with him, and even though we hadn’t been around each other long enough for the realisation to be instant, I picked up on it quickly and followed him out the door. 

His mood seemed to have only worsened by the time he got into the area of trees behind the small house. As soon as he was far enough away from the house, he sat down on the muddy floor. Liam’s shirt dragged in the dirt and his jeans were soon covered with a fine coating of dust and leaves. 

He didn’t seem to acknowledge my arrival, but did nothing to stop me when he noticed me sit down next to him. My clothes were already torn and moth-eaten, what was a bit of dirt to add to the mix? 

“Right, are you going to tell me what’s up, or are we just going to sit here? I don’t mind either but I’m pretty sure the first option is more preferable.” I nudged him with my arm and to my surprise, he let out a laugh. It was nice, however forced it appeared to be.

Instead of speaking, Liam stretched his legs out and leant back until he was lying flat on the ground with twigs in his hair and the entire back of his shirt ruined. I took off my jacket and did the same. 

“I feel like shit. The first thing I thought when I saw you wasn’t about you, it was about Cole. I didn’t think ‘ _oh thank god Aria’s alive_ ’, I thought ‘ _what if Cole is too?_ ’ and then you mentioned being brought in with another guy, and it could be him, and he could be alive. But if I get my hopes up and he isn’t, then it’s like I’m losing him all over again.”

I took a deep breath, choosing my words carefully. “Liam, I don’t know you as well as I should, so I’m not exactly the most qualified to comfort or give any advice. But I can tell you something about Cole if you want? It’s sort of all I really know at the moment.” 

“Okay then.”

“So when I first woke up, and I was trying to piece together the things I somehow knew with the things I didn’t, I kept hearing this voice in my head. Like things someone had once said to me, and whenever I got to the place similar to where they’d said it, it would be like I was there again… only I couldn’t quite tell who said it until I met them again.” I paused to laugh before continuing. “I kept hearing this one guy almost everywhere I went, and it had started to really annoy me because he kept saying the _weirdest_ things and I had next to zero context. So I keep thinking ‘who the hell is this guy’? And then I meet you. For a second there, I think it’s you. And then you open your mouth and I think, nope, definitely less of an asshole than the guy I’ve been hearing.” 

This time when Liam laughed, it didn’t sound forced at all. “And what kind of things have you been hearing my brother say, exactly?” 

“I’m not going to give away everything, _but_ , there was something to do with ‘If I lose one more game I might _‘accidentally’_ set that pack of cards on fire.’”

“Sounds about right.” 

I leant back and pushed my hands into the dirt using the force of the kicking of my legs to propel myself onto my feet in a crouching position. A surprised look took over Liam’s face as he rolled to an upright position before standing. He seemed as confused as me. 

“I didn’t know I could do that.” I shrugged, rising from the squat. 

“I think I’m ready to go back inside now, you coming?” He held out a hand and I took it gratefully, letting him lead me back to the house.


	6. Chapter 6

We met Chubs inside the house, and he told me to meet Ruby upstairs. I climbed them slowly and my hand tensed by my side, my fist clenched so hard my knuckles had turned white. At the top of the stairs there were three rooms, so I guessed the one in the middle and found Ruby sitting cross-legged on the bed by the window. As I joined her, I realised I was still covered in mud from sitting outside with Liam. 

“Don’t worry about it, today’s laundry day anyway,” she smiled at me and moved over to give me more room on the bed next to her. “So I’m going to warn you I’ve never done this before. I’ve only ever recovered the memories that I’ve erased myself, nothing like this.” 

“You’re not exactly filling me with confidence, but I’m willing to try anything at this point.” I watched her reach over and take my hand. 

_And I watched my life unfold before my eyes._


	7. Chapter 7

_“Lee. Who is this? Why is she here? And why do you both look like you just waltzed out the gates of hell?”_

_“Chubs - calm it, alright? She would’ve died.”_

I stood in the middle of a forest, leaning on Liam for balance. Looking around, I spotted Zu and Chubs. He didn’t look happy and I realised I was meeting him for the first time. Before I could open my mouth, the scene disappeared and was replaced with a new one, this time an office. 

_“Meditate on that, Mr High and Mighty. This child is here to stay.”_

The words were out of my mouth before I even realised what I was saying. John Alban was sitting in front of me, with Cate and a Liam-lookalike that must have been Cole. As I walked out of the office, my surroundings morphed into something else. If the transition had been any faster it would’ve given me whiplash. 

_“CHEAT!” Jude pushed the pile of cards in the middle towards Vida triumphantly and she took them, sighing. “That’s our fifth queen, you’re bluffing.”_

_“Fuck,” she cursed, rolling her eyes and adding them to her hand._

The edges of my vision began to become clouded as I was transported into a new memory, but I wasn’t ready. I liked this one too much. In a failed attempt to stay, I reached out for Jude but he disappeared and I was left alone. This time, it wasn’t exactly a happy memory. 

_Chubs laughed, wincing at the effort from it as paramedics surrounded him. “Yeah, Captain Obvious. No shit.”_

I was torn from the memory almost as soon as he had finished speaking, coming to my senses in the middle of a badly-sung solo from Liam, barely having time to catch the words coming out of his mouth before I was somewhere else, and again, and again, each jump more significant than the last. 

_“You did fucking shoot the man in the crotch not that long ago, he’s gotta want vengeance for that.”_

_“Move! Move! MOVE!”_

_“Us. A cure for the Psi.”_

_“We’re finally getting out of here.”_

_“She may be better than that. But I’m not.”_

_“That must be thank you in a language I don’t speak.”_

_“Killing him would be simpler.”_

_“Oh, Grannie. I can’t even.”_

_“Get your asses over here!”_

_“Hey yourself, darlin’.”_

_“Project Jamboree.”_

_“I’m sorry.”_

My eyes burst open as I tried to catch my breath. The second I felt Ruby’s hand in mine I realised I was back to reality. Tears were streaming down my face and Ruby’s mouth was open in shock. I let go of her and brought my knees up to my chest, clenching my fists in my jacket. 

“Did it work?” 

I didn’t realise she’d asked the question more than once. “What?”

“Did it work?” She whispered, almost as if she was afraid I’d give the wrong answer. 

Before I replied, I ran through what I now knew.

  1. My name is Aria Stacey.
  2. I was in Black Rock, then a Leda Corp facility, then The Children’s League and the Ranch. 
  3. After seven years, I have just found my friends again. 
  4. _Almost_ all of my friends. 



My mind drifted back to the happy memory at the League, with Vida, Nico and Jude. _Jude_. 

_Jude_. 

I choked his name out and Ruby wrapped her arms around me as I drowned in the freshly reopened wound of his death. I remembered telling him everything would be okay. How did I not know how wrong I was?

“Ruby?”

“Yeah?”

“It worked.”

“I know.” She whispered. “I know.”

~

I wasn’t exactly sure what to do. I had stood up, and I had come outside. And that was about as far as I had gotten. I needed some air, so I left. Unfortunately, I wasn’t entirely sure what to do after that. It had been ten minutes and all I had done was kick a tree stump (I now have a bruised foot) and rake my hands through my already greasy short hair. 

“So what’s up?” 

So focused on my own thoughts, I didn’t notice Vida arrive until she appeared next to me. She leant one shoulder against the side of the house and looked me up and down. 

“Not much. I’m only reliving every single best and worst moments of my entire life, no big deal or anything.” 

Vi laughed, rolling her eyes. “Definitely back to normal. Amnesia was not a good look on you.”

“Yeah, I didn’t think so either.” I managed a small smile. “What do we do now?”

“Well, for one thing, there’s a secret conversation going on inside the kitchen that you’re not supposed to know about, so I came to get you. Coming?” She cocked her head in the direction of the back door and I followed slowly, careful not to make any noise. 

Ruby and Chubs’ voices, however hushed, echoed through the house as everyone tried to listen. 

“Something’s not right.” 

“What do you mean something isn’t right? It worked, didn’t it?”

“Something was _blocking_ me.” 

“Something? Or…”

“Someone. I could see everything as it came back— he _wasn’t there._ ”

“What do you mean ‘he wasn’t there?’”

“I mean,” Ruby took a deep breath, “I mean… she remembered everything but Cole. There’s interaction, but nothing major, nothing important. There’s no training, there’s no… whatever they got up to when they were alone… _there’s not even Sawtooth_. It’s like she met him once, saw him around, and that’s it. There’s no emotion behind it. I think she’s blocking me, and doesn’t know it.” 

“Why? Does she not want to remember?” 

“Something tells me, no. She doesn’t. And she’s not even making that decision consciously.” 

“Selective amnesia could be a trauma response to what happened? Still, that's not good.”

“No, it’s not.” I walked into the room and leant against the fridge, my sudden entrance almost causing Chubs to jump three feet sideways into the island. Ruby carefully lowered her drink to the sideboard and took a deep breath. 

“How much of that did you overhear, I’m guessing by the look on your face most of it?” 

I nodded, folding my arms. “What can we do about it?” 

Chubs cut in, smoothing down his shirt and regaining composure. “Sorry, but for now it isn’t our top priority. According to the emergency message on that group chat, which I _still_ refuse to be a part of, there’s a reason that Nico and Cate didn’t show. And it’s not good.” 

“What’s happening?” Vida reappeared, her eyes flitting back and forth between Chubs and Ruby. “Where are we going?”

“There’s been an attack on Cruz, and half of that sector’s been put on lockdown.” Chubs’ jacket flew into his hands from the hallway and he shrugged it on, barely flattening the collar. 

I dusted the mud off the back of me and pushed up the sleeves of my own jacket. “Right, what do you want me to do?”


	8. Chapter 8

“Absolutely nothing. You’re staying here where you’re safe. You just got your memories back, how do you know if you can control your powers properly?” Chubs gave me a stern look but I folded my arms and met it with a sharp glare of my own. 

I reached out my hand and his keys flew into it, my fingers closing around them. “That proof enough for you?” By the time he had realised what had happened, I was already in the passenger seat of his car.

Sighing, Chubs leant on the side of the car, sticking his head through the window. “You didn’t want to drive?”

“Considering I don’t know where we’re actually going, it would be counter-productive.” I gestured to the driver’s seat. “Are you coming, or are you just going to give me disapproving looks for the next century?”

Before Chubs had a chance to give the sarcastic reply he was so clearly thinking of, Liam had slid past him and into the front seat next to me. “Come on Chubsicle, in the back.” 

“Right, who’s actually coming?” Vida got out her phone, ready to text Cate. 

“Me, you, Chubs, Liam.” I replied, reaching for the radio only to get swatted away by Liam as he adjusted it himself. _Universal law._

“And me,” Ruby had appeared in the back seat while we were too busy bickering to notice. Ignoring the looks of surprise she received, it was clear that her decision wasn’t going to change. “Now what are we waiting for? Lee, _drive_.” 

~

“How the _fuck_ are we supposed to get in if the place is on lockdown?” Vida slammed the car door shut behind her. 

None of the previous ideas had been good enough, so until we could come up with something better we found ourselves stuck just outside the affected part of the city. “With immense difficulty,” I replied, wandering the area looking for a good vantage point.

“Hey!” Liam waved us over, “I’ve got an idea… but you’re not going to like it...” He moved his foot to reveal a sewage access panel, and once he had lifted it up, a ladder underneath descended into pure darkness. 

Half of me instantly decided ‘ _oh hell no_ ’, considering I’d had enough experience with long, dark, never-ending tunnels to last a _lifetime_. The other half of me? Cate and Nico were inside those walls, past that checkpoint, and they needed our help.

Sensing my uneasiness, Chubs stopped Liam from going in first. “Wait, I have a flashlight in the glove box.” 

“It’s the one I got you for christmas! The one that has the ability to blind people!” Vida cheered, causing me to let out a small chuckle. “Nobody look directly at it— I’m not kidding.” 

Chubs handed the flashlight to Liam, who waited until he was just below the access hole to turn it on. It instantly illuminated the tunnel, engulfing his lower body in light. Something small darted out of view and I momentarily considered whether or not it would have been better to _not_ know what was down there. Ruby followed Liam, easing her way down the ladder and taking a few deep breaths before she disappeared, before moving out of the way to allow Chubs, Vida and I to follow suit. This time it was Vida’s turn to sense my hesitation, and she squeezed my shoulder lightly before starting to climb down. “I got you boo, do it for Cate and Nico.”

 _For Cate and Nico_ , I whispered to myself each time I found the next rung of the ladder beneath me. _For Cate and Nico_. Damn, the shit you do for family— am I right? I focused on the light coming from the flashlight in front and put one foot in front of the other. Inside my jacket pockets, my hands clenched into fists and relaxed repeatedly, unable to stay still. Since Jude’s death, I didn’t think I’d be able to enter a space like this again. The only thing that got me through it last time on the way to the Ranch was… what exactly _did_ get me through it last time? 

The thought vanished upon contact with the outside world, as I emerged from yet another access hole onto an almost empty street. It was quiet. _Too quiet_. Unsure of what else to do, I broke the silence. “How much further?” 

Barely acknowledging my question, Chubs slowly turned around 360, looking at the area. “Something’s not right.” 

“We already know something’s not right, that’s why we’re _here_.” Vida sighed, kicking the cover back on the hole we’d come out of. 

“No— Chubs has a point, look.” Ruby took a few steps forward, just enough to see through a gap between two buildings. Things were definitely _not_ okay. The dead giveaway? One, the couple dozen cop cars parked outside one tall building, their owners frantically making calls and sorting out weapons. Two, what appeared to be a walkway between said building and another smaller building, was on fire. 

“Maybe we should’ve brought backup…” Ruby trailed off, unsure of what to do next.

Vi sighed, cracking her knuckles. “Boo, we _are_ the backup.” 

~

Thankfully, we were immediately able to make contact with Nico and Cate, who edged away from the scene to talk to us, laying out the situation. 

“There was supposed to be a big, important meeting today, but I was running late. It was scheduled for the morning, so once that was finished I planned to start the drive up to you.” Cate started, her face pale with the shock of the situation. “The moment I step out of the elevator I stop to check my watch, and that’s when I hear a massive bang outside. I rush to the window to see what it is, and the walkway is half-collapsed— one half hit the ground a good few stories below, and the other half still attached to the building. Straight away, I ran up to the meeting, but the door’s locked and even with my access code I can’t get in.” 

“That’s when she called me,” Nico cut in. “I was already at my laptop, and honestly my grandpa has better security than that lot—” 

“Nico, didn’t _you_ build the firewall?” Vida raised an eyebrow.

“Built it with the sense to allow myself— and only myself— a way back in. But by the time I could unlock the door, everyone’s gone. So I checked the security footage, and there’s four people dressed in black escorting the eight board members out the fire escape and up onto the roof, where there’s no CCTV. The helicopter appeared and they all vanished into it. By the time everyone else had heard about the attack, it was too late. _Gone_.” He paused, sharing a look with Cate to allow us to absorb all of the information. She nodded, giving him permission to continue. “They took Cruz, and multiple members of the board in charge of children’s welfare for the new boarding school they’re trying to build. It’s not a camp masquerading as a school this time, it is _actually_ a school. But that’s not even the worst part of it...” Nico trailed off, taking a deep breath before unlocking his tablet and revealing the security feed. 

“Holy shit…” 

“The four kidnappers, they were kids. But they weren’t just kids—” he zoomed in on the outfits they were wearing, black but with a red armband— “They were _reds_.”


End file.
